Kansas governor defends sales tax increase

Gov. Mark Parkinson said Wednesday he expects a political backlash over the 2010 session, but not for those who voted to increase taxes and protect state programs.

"People will lose their jobs over that vote, but it will be those people who voted no," the Democratic governor predicted.

Parkinson said while he expects election challenges to moderate Republicans and Democrats who voted to raise taxes, he urged tea party activists with signs and megaphones "to set those down for a little bit."

"I understand why you are mad at everybody else, but you shouldn't be mad at Kansas," Parkinson said. "What we did this year was remarkable. We set aside our party differences. We cut our own salaries to set an example. We stood up to special interest groups.

"We proved that the little guy can win."

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Kevin Yoder, an Overland Park Republican, said tea party members are going to be upset because of the tax increase. He said they're also likely to be mad at legislators for other reasons, such as the statewide smoking ban.

"For all the momentum in the tea party movement, which focuses on restoring freedoms and individual liberties, we grew the size and scope of government," Yoder said.

The legislative session ended Tuesday after lawmakers finished the 2011 state budget, a tax package and new 10-year transportation program.

They approved a $13.7 billion state budget that restored most cuts to social services and prevented deeper reductions in K-12 education. It will be funded by an increase in the state sales tax from 5.3 percent to 6.3 percent. The 10-year, $8.2 billion transportation program, will build on the investments of the 1989 and 1999 programs.

"I challenged the Legislature to draw a line in the sand and say that enough is enough" Parkinson said. "And that even though states across the country are continuing to decimate these essential services, that we would be a bright light here in the state of Kansas.

"I can't tell you how appreciative and grateful I am for what they've done."

Parkinson said those measures sets the foundation for Kansas to have better financial footing for the next four years.

Assuming traditional annual revenue growth of close to 5 percent, he said Kansas would have enough money to continue funding programs without additional cuts.

Parkinson said the next governor would still likely face a projected deficit in the 2012 budget, even with the tax increase, but called the gap "manageable."

During the budget and tax debates, conservative legislators forced roll call votes. The recorded vote tactic is frequently used as fodder for election postcards from interest groups seeking to highlight a candidate's record and contend the state economy was wrecked, Parkinson said.

He said that after the 2002 quarter-cent sales tax increase to help alleviate that budget crisis, Kansas created 40,000 jobs.

"Please, keep it in perspective. Go back to the year 2002 and you will see the things in Kansas are going to be just fine," Parkinson said.

Senate President Steve Morris said it's always a political risk to raise taxes. All 125 House seats are on the November ballot, while senators stand for election in 2012.

"None of us like to raise taxes," said Morris, a Hugoton Republican. "We're elected to do a job. The voters expect us to analyze what's happening and take a hard look at essential state services. That balance (between cuts and raising revenue) can be delicate."